The First Annual Jazz Improv LIVE! 2007 Convention & Festival billed as the The One International Convention For Jazz Fans will take place on October 25-28, at The New Yorker Hotel and Manhattan Center, 34th Street & 8th Avenue in midtown Manhattan, New York. Among the highlights are the exclusive U.S. appearance of the McCoy Tyner All Star Trio featuring bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Jack DeJohnette, Sun Ra Arkestra, Jimmy Heath Big Band, Wallace Roney Group, Geri Allen Trio, Roy Haynes Quartet, Pat Martino Quartet, Sonny Fortune Quartet, and the Jimmy Bruno Trio.

The event will feature over 150 activities, a 12,000 square foot jazz expo area, and scores of performances, all day and evening, on multiple stages, by leading and emerging artists covering the broadest array of jazz genres. Advance registration to Jazz Improv LIVE! 2007 is suggested so that attendees may obtain proper badges and credentials to ensure entry to the Thursday evening October 25 opening event of Jazz Improv LIVE! 2007 - a kickoff party at Virgin Megastores Times Square Store ( www.virgin.com/megastores ) featuring an exclusive performance by a headliner (to be announced)..

LANSING, Mich.– The 13th annual Lansing JazzFest took place last weekend, boasting a top-notch line-up and breaking attendance records. The two-day, three-stage event, which is put on annually by the Old Town Business and Art Development Association (OTBADA), took place at the corner of Turner St. and Grand River Ave. in Old Town’s historic commercial district.

JazzFest is the fastest growing festival of any kind as well as the largest free music event in mid-Michigan, but the overwhelming success of this year’s event surprised even the event’s coordinators.

“This was a record crowd for Jazzfest, almost doubling last year’s attendance,” said OTBADA president Terry Terry. “We had well over 15,000 attendees, perfect weather, phenomenal music and a really fun crowd from all over the state.”

Lisa Smith, Public Relations chair for the festival admits, “After several years of promoting this event we could feel that this year the festival had taken flight in a bigger way. Media outlets were inquiring early-on, from every area of Michigan.”

The 9th annual Freedom Jazz Festival will be held at historic Minnehaha Falls Park in south Minneapolis on August 11th. An event that truly celebrates family and community as well as America’s indigenous music, music reigns from noon til dark at “The Ball at the Falls,” featuring mostly jazz as well as blues, funk, gospel, R & B, and world music. Among the performers this year will be local sax legend Dean Brewington; Peruvian guitar master Andres Prado; Ipso-Facto guitarist Wain McFarlane; producer/saxman/keyboardist Walter Chancellor; worldy groovers The Bill Crutcher Group; the soulful voices of Thomasina Petrus and Bruce Henry; mighty percussion leaders Patrice and Kevin Washington; trumpeter Jeff Keys and Urban Cadence; and more!

Entering its 13th year, the Lansing JazzFest is a two-day FREE music festival that brings national, regional, and local acts to an audience of roughly 15,000 people from across Michigan and nearby states. JazzFest's music truly is living music, history in the making. Each artist at the festival is asked to play an original composition, something that hasn't been played at any other festival. On Friday, August 3rd performers include: Kris Johnson Quartet, Neil Gordon Quartet featuring Dan Jacobs, Paul VornHagen Quintet, Jazz Karaoke, Mose Allison, Sunkwa, and Mike Skory's Jazz All Stars. And on Saturday, August 4 the lineup features: Lanswingers, Children's Ballet Theatre of Michigan, Mike Daniels Drum Clinic, Message Makers Band, Community Dance Project, Jim Cooper Quartet, Organissimo, Sunkwa, Too Smooth for Notes, Caleb Curtis Quintet, Koke McKesson, Mose Allison, Ritmo, and Mike Skory's Jazz All-Stars — South Stage.

This year's festival will take place Friday, August 3, and Saturday, August 4, 2007, in the streets of Old Town, surrounded by the best of the Capital City's art galleries as well as unique retail stores and grand architecture. Vendors line the streets offering ethnic food, beverages, art, clothing, and crafts, and nearby galleries and boutiques open their doors during festival hours. Visit www.jazzlansing.com for more details.

Hot ribs, cool jazz! The Jazz & Rib Fest is one of the most anticipated downtown events in Columbus and the Midwest.The Columbus Jazz & Rib Fest takes place on July 20 - 22, 2007 in Bicentennial Park and Genoa Park. The tantalizing aroma of ribs on the grill mixed with the vibrant sounds of jazz makes a combination that is undeniably delicious. Now in its 28th year, The Columbus Jazz & Rib Fest brings together some of today's most popular and innovative jazz artists with mouth watering ribs from across the country. Don't miss this Columbus summertime tradition. Delfeayo Marsalis, Sammy Figueroa and his Latin Jazz Explosion, Diane Schuur, James Moody, Groove Collective, Flora Purim and Airto Moreira, Diego Urcola, The Winard Harper Sextet, Monk on Monk Too, The Headhunters, and Robert Glasper.

Jazz & Rib Fest is produced by Music in the Air and the Office of Special Events, programs of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department.

Only a year after facing possible cancellation, the North Beach Jazz Fest breezes into its 13th year with an outstanding 5-day lineup and no controversy. After the 2006 event-redesign ran impeccably, those who doubted the festival were shown the wisdom of having faith in this beautiful event. "We were so appreciative that the community and the Mayor's office stood up to ensure our survival last year," explains co-director Robbie Kowal, "And we, our staff, and volunteers rewarded that faith with a flawless execution of the improved layout." "

Kicking off on Wednesday July 25th and spreading over the next five days, the visionary folks from Sunset Promotions and Alistair Monroe bring you what has been lovingly referred to as the "Soul of San Francisco." The festival draws thousands to San Francisco's most hallwoed neighborhood and boasts an abundance of free programming, making it San Francisco's foremost urban music festival. In its thirteenth year, this independently owned and produced festival presents a collection of musicians who continue to push jazz into the future, while honoring its glorious past. Each show defines a theme, and then presents artists who represent its past, present, and future.